The US could lose its crown as the world's most powerful economy as soon as next year, and it's unlikely to ever get it back

The US might soon no longer be the world's dominant economic superpower.
Ian Walton/Getty Images

The US could lose its crown as the world's biggest economy as soon as next year, according to data from Standard Chartered.

Once it falls behind China, it is unlikely to ever regain the top spot, and by 2030 it could also be behind India.

By 2030, the bank said, Asian gross domestic product will account for roughly 35% of global GDP, up from 28% last year and 20% in 2010.

Six of the world's 10 largest economies could be in Asia in the next decade.

The United States of America could lose its position as the world's biggest economy as soon as next year — and once that happens, it is unlikely to regain the top spot as developing Asian economies power ahead.

According to research released this week by Standard Chartered Bank, China is likely to become the world's biggest economy at some point in 2020, when measured by a combination of purchasing-power-parity exchange rates and nominal gross domestic product.

Not only is China likely to overtake the US in 2020, but by 2030 it will be joined by India, Standard Chartered said in its report, with annual GDP growth set to accelerate from about 6% now to almost 8% in the coming decade.

"India will likely be the main mover, with its trend growth accelerating to 7.8% by the 2020s partly due to ongoing reforms, including the introduction of a national goods and services tax (GST) and the Indian Bankruptcy Code," Standard Chartered said.

India's rise would also reflect Asia's becoming the dominant economic region of the planet as the size of its output starts to match the size of its population.

"Our long-term growth forecasts are underpinned by one key principle: countries' share of world GDP should eventually converge with their share of the world's population, driven by the convergence of per-capita GDP between advanced and emerging economies," a team of economists from the bank wrote in a note to clients.

By 2030, the bank said, Asian GDP will account for roughly 35% of global GDP, up from 28% last year and 20% in 2010. This would be equivalent to the combined output of the eurozone and the US.

By 2030, six of the 10 largest economies could be in Asia, as the chart below illustrates: